Breathe: A Cinderellic Labyrinth
by Diana Kay Warry
Summary: In a poor small town a young woman named Ellie is beaten and abused by her drunk father almost every night. This girl's life collides with that of the Goblin King in the most unexpected way. Contains language and 'romance' scenes, but I'm classy about it.
1. Chapter 1

Breathe: A Cinderellic Labyrinth

A Note to the Reader

First off, I want to be completely honest here. I am not a die-hard Labyrinth fan. I mean, I love Labyrinth and I always enjoy watching the movie, but I'm not absolutely nuts over it. My true love is "The Phantom of the Opera". It always has been, and it always will be. But recently I watched Labyrinth again for the heck of it, and an idea for a story hit me. This is that idea brought to life.

This is just a fic I'm writing for fun, and I promise, I will stay as true to the story as I possibly can. Yet I like going for originality too, so don't expect everything to be perfectly right to a T. As the title mentions, this story is a Cinderella crossover in a way… kind of. There are elements in here that are like Cinderella, but there are no fairy godmothers, glass slippers, magical mice, or a clock striking midnight. There is only an abused girl who is forced to live in the unfinished basement of her home, and Jareth, the Goblin King and powerful Fae.

This story won't be heavy on description, because I want people to understand that the abuse that happens in this story could happen anywhere. And I want this tale to be universal, and for everyone to have their own picture of where this is taking place.

There will be language in here, scenes of abuse, and 'passion' scenes… but nothing horribly graphic. This will have a T rating, but I hope it appeals to all audiences

So dear reader, this is for you. I hope you enjoy it.

~Diana

PS- the first chapter is short because of this introductory note. I promise, the rest of the installments shall be longer, and I will only be updating one chapter a day (sorry)!

Chapter One: A Girl Named Elegance

Ellie let out a scream as she fell down the stairs, her life flashing before her eyes. She prayed silently that this time, her father would accidentally do it, and she would hit her head and fall into the oblivion that is death. If any adult in her life had dared to look at her body closer, oh, the stories it told. If scars were a map of life, those on her arms, legs, and stomach could illustrate every landmark of hurt, pain, and suffering she had gone through. And then there was the bruising…

But no one dared to look at her close enough, to realize how bruised she was underneath the makeup. No one looked at the pain in her eyes. No, not in West Compton Missouri. Being a poor neighborhood, people had too many problems in their own home to care about an abused girl, who was beaten by her father almost every single night. No one cared that her mother had died when she was only five years old, and that she had been abused twelve years since then. No one cared… No one cared…

"Let me end my life now." She prayed silently, hoping that her father's push down the stairs would lead to her splitting her head open against the wall. "Take me, God! Take me!"

But of course, she kept rolling to the bottom, and the journey ended with her back hitting the wall painfully. The breath was knocked out of her, and her waist long black hair flew across her face. Her dark emerald eyes filled with tears, and she forced her small, thin body to stand, and run to her basement room… before her father could come after her again.

She heard him clomp downstairs, and before she could register anything else, she ran to her room only three feet away, locked the door, and slid onto the concrete floor. There she crawled over to her single mattress on the floor, with it's thinning blankets, and curled up onto it. Nearby in three boxes were her clothes, separated by under things, shirts, and jeans. In a small wooden box next to all of that was her minimal jewelry, hairbrush with hairpins and ties, and, the only thing her father bought her—makeup to hide her bruises.

She kicked off her worn white tennis shoes, and did the only thing that was left in her tired body to do. She stood, walked over to two large plastic tubs filled with books, and pulled one out. It was the only thing left of her mother's, those books. And now Ellie had them, and read them, and cherished the stories that filled the pages and her head. After all, when a seventeen year old had nothing else, what stopped her from getting lost in the world of fairies and chaste, fairytale like love.

The book Ellie had picked out was a condensed version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Again falling onto the mattress, she began reading and whispering the words of the fairy queen, Tatiana.

"I want to be beautiful and wise like her." Elegance DeNoon softly wished. "I want a man like Oberon to love me." She fell forward a bit, and began to close her eyes. The pain she had been fighting was now too much, and she wanted to simply give in. "I want anyone… to love me for what I am. Scars, past, and all."

At last she fell into darkness, her last refuge from her bruised ribs that she didn't even know were injured.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Lightening

Elegance DeNoon woke up four hours later, around midnight. She listened upstairs, but did not hear her dad's usual pacing. He was out for the night, probably getting drunk at his friend's bar. She felt relieved. Maybe she could finally attend to her wounds. She quietly opened the door, incase her father was still in the house, and sneak upstairs. But when she looked at the vast living room with only old gray carpeting, a couch her father slept on, and a TV… well, if he wasn't there with a beer in his hand, he wasn't home.

Ellie walked to the bathroom, a place she was required to keep clean all the time or face the consequences of his hand, and opened the cabinet mirror to grab the first aid kit. It was packed with stuff she had bought over the years, from money she had saved up by taking odd jobs around the neighborhood. She knew that the key to an uninfected wound was a well-stocked arsenal of medical supplies. With her father's brutality, she had learned that the hard way.

She forced herself to take off her shirt and jeans, and gaze at her injuries in the mirror. Her open cuts she cleaned out with alcohol and bandaged the best she could. The process hurt, but she never showed the disinfecting pain on her face. She knew it was a good hurt deep down… a hurt that told her she was taking care of her wounds right, a hurt that told her she was still alive. She looked past all her bruises and injuries, and tried to see the female body behind it.

She was curvy, but not fat, which was good for her 5'3 frame, yet what might have become a soft feminine body was now hard and roughed up by scars. Her chest was a good size, as were her hips, but it meant nothing when she couldn't trust any man. All that she wanted was to keep saving her money, and somehow escape to college and become an English/Journalism major. She wanted either to write for newspapers and inform people of others' plights (perhaps send a rally cry for help), or teach kids, and be the hero for them that no one had been for her. Deep down, Ellie was strong. She would not let circumstance defeat her.

As she was pulling her clothes back on her, the sound of rain hitting the top of her house met her ears. She loved the sound of rain at night. It was so peaceful, so welcoming. It made her forget her past for a moment, and it reminded her of her mother's singing. She wanted to see the rain at that moment, and thus left the room to sit on the front porch, and watch the storm.

She kept dry underneath the small, wrap around porch of her home, and for a while studied the effect it had on her neighborhood. The homes around her were not the best quality, but were in repair and kept nice. There wasn't much violence on the streets of the cul-de-sac. It was just that everyone was so busy taking care of themselves, trying to provide what they could for their families, they couldn't afford to help out a neighbor. So while some heard a man beating his wife at night, or a kid crying inside a home, no one helped. As long as that problem wasn't brought into their daily life, it wasn't an issue. That was just how poor, small towns dealt with the evil of the world.

But in that haze of rain, it looked like any other small town. It was clam and peaceful, and any crying that might have been going on inside a home was drowned out by the sound of thunder and rain. It made a person feel normal, and hope that nothing terrible was going on in the world tonight. But Ellie knew the truth. The ache in her ribs kept on reminding her.

She pulled her legs to her chest, rested her head on her knees, deeply sighing. That was when she saw the flash of white light from a nearby thunderbolt, and only seconds later, heard the biggest crash of lightening she had ever heard in her life. She let out a cry of shock, and covered her hands with her ears. She stood up, knowing that she had to get inside since the storm was so bad, but as she did so, she looked out toward the yard, and saw a white lump of something lying there on the west grass.

She squinted her eyes to get a closer look, and saw the white lump was a mass of cream-colored feathers, with two wings, a head, and claws. Ellie studied it, and saw that it was an owl. It was good-sized, almost as big as a house large cat, and it had a small, almost gold beak. She stood there, hoping that the owl would stand, and fly away. It didn't. It just continued to lay there.

While thunder roared and lightening crashed, Ellie's heart got the better of her. She ran out into the yard, while the rain pounded on her, and kneeled down in front of the bird. Now the wind was picking up, and it blew her hair every which way. But that didn't matter, she had to help the owl. She saw that it's chest was moving up and down, and finally without thinking, she picked it up and bolted back into her house.

Once she pushed the door shut and locked it, Ellie glanced at the bird. The owl really was beautiful. She had not seen many owls in her life, nor held one, but she knew there was something special about his owl. Deep down she knew that it might have been a reject, like her.

She carried the owl downstairs to her room, and laid it down upon her bed. She tucked the covers around it, like a nest, and then ran upstairs to make a small dish of water and a grab a plate of lunchmeat for it. She could keep both things in her small, two-foot refrigerator she had gotten from a neighbor moving out of town. She had her own food that she kept in there, in case she was stuck in her room for more than one day, but she could move things around.

As soon as everything was situated, Ellie took her pillow from off the bed, and placed it on the floor, along with two sheets. Until the owl got better, it could have her bed. She wanted to give this creature anything she could, all the attention she could bestow. After all, since school had gotten out two weeks ago, she hadn't had contact with anyone other than her dad, and to have some nonviolent company (even though not human) would be nice.

Ellie did what she could for the bird while it was asleep. She stroked it softly, sand it old song she knew, and told it fairytales. She had one-sided conversations with it, and when she thought it was cold, pulled it close to her chest to keep it warm. Finally, it was late, and she knew that she had to get some sleep. It would take some energy to keep this owl a secret from her father.

She curled up on the floor, pulling the covers over her, and resting her head on the pillow. At last her eyes closed, and she fell into darkness.

The next morning, it was not Ellie's own alarm clock that woke her from the side of her bed. Oh no, she was the feel of someone pulling her hair back out of her face, strand by strand, that made her open her eyes slowly to see who was being so tender toward her. It wasn't her father she knew for sure, for her father couldn't get into her locked room, and he wouldn't have been that gentle if he could anyway. But what she saw somewhat shocked her anyway.

The owl was standing on the floor, beside her face, carefully picking at her hair and moving it back behind her ear. The _owl_ was. This supposedly _wild_ owl that she found, was now treating her like she was its indoor master.

She was too surprised, and somewhat delighted, to move. This creature trusted her, and she didn't want to break its trust in anyway. So she allowed it to do its work, and she didn't move or make any noise while it did so. Finally, when the owl was done with its mission, it looked at her, and cocked its head to the side. Ellie said nothing, and only stared back at it.

Then, to her even deeper shock, it nuzzled her cheek and curled up against her stomach. Just like it was a dog or cat, yearning for a affection. And so Ellie did the only thing she could think of:

She gently stroked its soft feathers, and promised that while the owl was under her roof, she would protect it and love it with her all her strength and heart. Somehow, by a miracle of God, it was here with her now, for some purpose. And she was ready for whatever destiny gave them down the road. At this thought, tears fell down her eyes. Finally, she had something she could love.


	3. Chapter 3

_Jareth's POV_

Chapter Three: Shock

Just a note for future reference… if you can change from Fae to owl, and decide you want to take a vacation from your Underground kingdom to the world above, it's best not to fly up there during a _thunder storm_. Apparently, lightening really likes to strike things that are up high and like to fly. And it doesn't matter if you're magic and immortal, electricity does not segregate when it comes to pain.

My problems started just hours before coming to Earth, back down in the Underground. Every year I take a two-month vacation from my royal responsibilities, and travel Above to relax and be among humans. Really, humans are fascinating creatures. Some are beautiful and kind, while others can be terribly ugly and wicked. It's such a wide range of personality. No one is ever sure how a human will react, until you can get a feel for them and know them. But anyway, I'm getting off track. Yes, I go Above to get a change of scenery once a year, and am gone for two months. I travel in my owl form, yet when I meet someone _interesting_ (who is more likely than not female) I reveal myself. And my, is that fun.

On the first day of my two-month vacation, I left my most trusted in charge, Hoggle. He's surprisingly a good, stern replacement for me while I'm gone, and knows how to take direction well. As long as beautiful women being trapped in my Labyrinth aren't involved, he's trusty. But that hadn't happened in over twenty years…

No. I don't like to think about that now. It was the only time I was ever rejected by anyone. It's just one failure out of many successes. _But she was the only one that mattered_. Stop. Sorry about that, sometimes my heart… there's a reason I learned to numb it up twenty years ago. Forgive me. Now, where was I? Oh yes, my vacation.

I left Hoggle back in the Underground, to oversee things. I always make preparations before I go on this trip, so that things run smoothly until I get back. You know, like threatening the goblins within an inch of their life to not do anything stupid or disobey Hoggle while I'm gone. Things like that help keep the peace. Punting a few of them around the castle does wonders too.

Finally, I was out of the castle, and after saying a spell, was back Above, gliding through the night skies in my owl form. Wherever I was, it started raining, but I thought I could tough it out until I found a beautiful woman on the street to talk to.

And of course, with my luck, in less than five minutes it became a downpour. I realized I had to find shelter… NOW.

I was flying over an old neighborhood, peaceful but somewhat run down. I had to find somewhere, anywhere, to wait until the storm passed. Even an oversized birdhouse would be fine. But circumstance would have things work out differently for me.

Suddenly, as I was flying, I saw a flash of white light, and felt a shattering jolt through out my body. The sound of thunder crashing filled my head and shook my very being violently, and I came crashing from the sky. Here I am, Jareth the Goblin King, one of the masters of the Fae, being thrown down by a bolt of freak'in lightening—in the _Above_ of all places. Again, I remind you that I don't always have the best of luck.

I don't remember what happened next, only that my body crashed to the ground, and then there was darkness.

I was out of it for a while, I think, for when I woke up, I had no idea where I was, or how I had gotten there. I was lying on a mattress, with blankets wrapped around me, in a small room that was completely concrete, walls and floor. I saw three boxes full of clothing, and two large containers of books. I knew I was still in my owl form, since everything seemed so much bigger, and I tried to will myself to change back into my Fae form.

And nothing happened.

I tried again, trying to will my magic to morph itself for me, but I felt nothing. To my horror, I realized that the magic had literally been zapped out of me by the lightening storm. This had happened one other time in my life. When I was a young Fae, I had gotten too close to some lightening bugs (yes, there are such things in my world as bugs that give off electrical energy) in the Underground. It had taken me a few weeks to recover, me regaining a little bit of my magic each day, but I had made a full recovery. Yet I was now in this strange place, and I was in my owl form. Would that make a difference?

I wiggled myself of the blankets, and looked down at the floor. It was then that I noticed someone curled up on the cold, stone floor, with only a thin sheet around them as a blanket. I studied the figure, and saw that it was a young woman, with long black hair trailing down her waist. Her body was small, with a small bit of muscle, and her face pale. She wore a tight fitting blue t-shirt, but what she wore for bottoms was covered by a blanket. Her skin looked pale, yet I couldn't see her face, since it was obstructed by her hair.

I hopped off the bed and made my way over to her. I then, with my beak, began to gently lift strands of hair off her face.

Slowly I managed to find high cheekbones, full lips, and to my shock, two black eyes and bruised cheek. What had happened to his girl? Had she gotten into a fight?

Suddenly she stirred, and opened her eyes. Seeing those eyes made me quiver. She had deep, emerald green eyes, which were full of pain and hurt. I knew, just by looking at her, that she was going through a dark time in her life. And yet, she had brought me here, given me her mattress, and obviously did not mean to hurt me. To her, I guessed I was only an owl she took from the storm.

Look, I don't know why I immediately cared about her, but I did. I suppose the idea that she would give up her bed for an owl struck a cord with me. No one had been so kind to me like that in a long time. I tried to say thank you the best I could, by nuzzling her face and then curling up in her arms. And then, to my surprise, she held me close to her and stroked my back.

And I swore, for a moment, that I could hear her softly crying.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Pure as Snow

Ellie did the best she could for the owl. She gave it water, and hand fed it lunchmeat. Whatever scraps of food she got a hold of after her father was done eating, she saved it for her and the owl. Four days had passed since she had rescued it from outside, and it was seemed content to be with her, and listen as she talked to it about her life.

"I stay in here all the time." She explained, "Unless my father goes to work. Then when he leaves, I do some chores and run some errands for my neighbors. That's how I get money for me. My father… he's not a good man." She looked down at her scars and sighed, then glanced back up at the owl on her bed, "It's because I look like my mom, that he's like this to me. It's because I lived, and she died in the car crash, that he hates me."

The owl cocked its head at her, and she giggled. "Yes, that's an odd way for me to explain my life, but it's true. When I was young, my mother and I were going to the store, and a car ran a red light and hit us. I lived, she didn't. End of story."

She didn't cry any tears for herself. Those tears had been long used up and dried. She didn't cry much anymore, because since no one else cared, why should she? Oh, but this owl, actually edged close to her, and cuddled into her lap. She grinned.

"Little owl," she sighed, "you make me so happy. When my father goes to work tomorrow, I'll go the store and buy us some fruit. I wonder if owls like you enjoy peaches."

The owl hooted in reply, and crawled up her arm to her shoulder. She laughed. "Well, I guess that's a yes." She gazed at the bird lovingly, and then remembered, "Wait! I never told you my name, didn't I? My name is Elegance DeNoon. But I'm just Ellie to most. Elegance is a mouthful. Now…" She looked at her clock, to see it was almost midnight, "how about I tell you a story, before we sleep? I was reading _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. Maybe you would like that." She walked over to her tub, and pulled the book off the top of the pile. Lying down next to the owl on the mattress (they now shared it) she began to read aloud, staying in character as she read.

At last she stopped reading, and rested her head on the pillow. It was late, and tomorrow she was excited for her father to go to work, so she could leave her underground chamber, if only for a few hours.

The next morning she was awoken be her alarm clock, the beeping letting her know it was nine, and that her father was at work. She leapt out of bed, and gathering an outfit from the four boxes of clothes, walked upstairs to take a long shower. She took her time, usually having to bathing at night in less than five minutes in fear she would wake her father.

Finally she got dressed, applied some makeup to her face to cover the bruises, and went back downstairs to grab her owl. She would take it with her today, and let it have some fresh air.

Carefully she tied some string around its claws, and then tied the other end of it to her wrist. Grabbing about five dollars from underneath her mattress, she stuffed it in the back of her jeans pocket, and straightened out her yellow shirt before walking upstairs.

Finally, they slipped out the front door, and walked down the sidewalk. Ellie and the owl were quite a pair, and many people stopped to look at them as they made their way to the small grocer.

She was the only one inside the small store, except for the owner Mr. Prescott, who sat behind the counter. He was a middle age man, still with dark hair, but with a round face outlined in wrinkles. He wore black pants, a red shirt, and white apron, the stereotypical look of a grocer.

"Jesus Christ Ellie!" He cried in shock, seeing the owl, "You know I don't allow pets in here!"

"You've told me you don't allow dogs and cats." She teased, "Not birds. And he's very well behaved. Almost princely, come to think of it."

He sighed, and gave a slight smile. "Fair enough. What's its name?"

"I don't know." She said, "I haven't named him yet. I'm still trying to think of one. I want the name to suit him when I do though."

"Ah, it's a he owl?"  
>"I think so. At least he seems like a guy to me." She reached up, and stroked the side of the owl's face. It reached over, and gently took one of her fingers in its beak, as though kissing it.<p>

"Yeah, he must be guy!" She said, "Now, I'm here for some peaches Mr. Prescott."

"Just down the third isle." He said.

She thanked him, and walked down. She felt the fuzzy outside, making sure they were ripe, and picked out five. One of them would probably end up being both of theirs for lunch.

She handed the peaches to Mr. Prescott, and he rang her up. But as he were putting them in a bag for her, she saw him slip in a bar of chocolate and a package of crackers. "For you and the bird." He said, "But don't tell anyone I'm giving ya free stuff, okay?"

She smiled, and leaned into hug him. "Thank you." She said. The owl hooted after her, and he chuckled.

"Is he thanking me too?" He asked.

"Yes, yes he is." She said, "You have a good day Mr. Prescott."

"You too sunshine." He said, watching her as she left. "You get home safe."

She smiled at him on her way out, and then began to talk to the park. For a while both her and the owl sat on the park bench, watching a few of the kids as they played. Occasionally a child would come over, and ask to see the bird, and Ellie would let him or her pet it. Seeing the joy was on the kid's face meant so much to Ellie. She knew how times were hard in her town, and anything she could do to give happiness, made her joyful.

Finally they walked home, and went back downstairs to eat. Ellie sliced open a peach for them using a pocketknife she owned, and fed half of it to her owl, before eating herself.

"We'll save the chocolate and crackers for supper." She said, "We'll make a feast out of it! I'll get some bread from upstairs, and with the lunchmeat and peaches, it'll be great. How do you feel about that, little owl?"

The owl, who had been licking peach juice off her fingers, hooted happily.

"You know, it's like you can understand everything I say." She observed, "It's nice, to have someone who will listen to you." She stood up then, and walked toward the door. "Now, you stay down here. I'll be right back."

She closed the basement door, and sneak upstairs into the kitchen, to grab four slices of bread. But as soon as she reached for it in the breadbox, the front door opened, and slammed shut behind her. She turned, to see her father glaring at her from the front hall.

He was a big man, almost six one, and kept his head shaved. He was about 180 pounds of mean muscle, and he usually wore jeans and a white tee for his job in construction. Looking at Ellie, his black eyes flashed, and she knew she was in for it.

"What are you doing?" He spat.

"I'm getting some bread, Dad." She said weakly.

"So, you're stealing?"

"No, I, I was just…"

"You think that since I let you live here, everything under this house is yours!" He yelled.

"No, Dad, please…"

He marched over to her, and grabbed her wrist. "I'll show you what happens when someone steals from me!"

At that moment the back of his hand came in contact with her face it sent her hurling toward the floor. As soon as she was down he kicked her stomach, and then pulled her up by her hair. His hand once again smacked her mouth, and she could taste blood on her tongue.

He pushed her out of the kitchen, and into the wall of the living room, the force of it knocking the wind out of her. She began to feel lightheaded, and to see sparks of light flash in front of her eyes. She was no stranger to that sensation. It meant she was in danger of passing out.

She pushed herself off the wall, and bolted downstairs, with her father only feet behind her. Luckily she managed to get to her basement room, bolt the door shut, and fall onto the floor.

She heard her father pounding on the outside wall, but she knew he wouldn't be able to break down the door, reinforced with metal edges. She looked over at her owl, which was still sitting on her bed. She reached up when she felt something trickle from her lip, and she touched the liquid. She pulled her hand away, and saw it was blood.

It was then that her world flipped.

Suddenly her owl let out a screech, and it flew off the bed. A white light surrounded it, and she saw glitter dancing in the air. Maybe, she wondered, her father's hits to the head had finally taken their toll on her.

She watched, as the owl underneath the light, slowly morphed into a human figure. She saw the outline of a tall man, with a lanky body hinting at muscle, and suddenly the light disappeared. In place of her owl was a man… and that man fell on his knees, with sweat dripping down his forehead. Silently she studied him, quite unsure of what had just happened.

The man had light, blonde hair, coming to a mane at his shoulders, and pale skin. He wore leather pants, tucked into boots at the calf, and an open, white poet's shirt. His teeth were somewhat jagged, but white and well kept. His eyes, which were glued to the floor as he tried to control his breath, were two different colors: a golden brown and sky blue. He was alluring, and powerful looking, and after what had just happened, he terrified Ellie.

He then looked up at her, and quickly crawled towards her. She let out a small cry of panic, but he placed a long finger over his thin lips.

"Don't, precious." He spoke softly, "Don't be frightened. I won't hurt you. I promise." His voice was smooth and soft, his accent articulate, and almost English. It soothed her, and she felt her fear lessen.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said again, "I promise. You've helped me so much the past four days… now I'm going to help you, with what little power I have now." He slid an arm underneath her shoulder, the other under her legs, and picked her up to carry her to the mattress.

Without a word he began to examine her wounds on her face, and the inside of her mouth.

"Who are you?" Ellie finally asked, as he turned his attention toward a bruise now growing on her face. "And where's my owl?"

He gave a soft smile and sighed. "Elegance, I was your owl. But hidden underneath that form was a man known as the Goblin King." He tilted his head, a miniature version of a bow. "And here I am now, at your service."


	5. Chapter 5

_Jareth's POV_

Chapter Five: Wave of Fear

She passed out. Ellie actually _passed out_ when I told her who I was.

Now, it may have been the pain that made her faint, but the shock of hearing that I was the Goblin King probably didn't help much. Whenever I tell someone who I am, I get too extremes: either they get annoyingly excited, or pissed off and they don't believe me. This girl was the first to faint. It alarmed me, but at the same time, it was a nice change.

Over the past four days as she talked to me as an owl and told me about her life, I was able to piece together what was going on in her home. She hid down in the basement all day, until her father was asleep or at work, and then did what she had to do upstairs quickly, in fear of his returning or waking up. Most of the time she read, slept, or wrote. Underneath her mattress she kept her money and notebooks, and she was actually a fairly good writer. Her work was as good as some of the poems written by the Faes back home.

Her main dream was to help people, so children didn't have to live like she was living now, in fear of being beaten by her father. With her mother dead, and everyone in the town suffering because of the economy, nobody really saw her pain. Nobody cared. And since her mother was dead… she was alone in the world.

Her father beat her. This was a thought that consumed me while I slept by her side as an owl, and I sometimes dreamt of ways to do away with him. I could drown him in the Bog of Eternal Stench, or have one of my many monsters eat him alive. No, my goblins would torture him, and then my monsters would eat him alive. After I had my go at the bastard.

Seeing Ellie, and watching her be her true self with me as her owl, touched me very deeply. She was still loving and kind, even after all that had happened to her. She gave me everything she could, including her food and storage of water. And the way she would feed me by hand, and then tell us both stories at night… it was magical, and painful. She deserved better than this.

I tried to learn and remember everything I could about her. She loved dark green. Her favorite food was pasta. Her favorite story was _Jane Eyre_, and she liked to sing for fun, even though she thought she wasn't that good (personally, I found her light and airy voice sweet and enjoyable… and I'm not a huge fan of modern music). She wanted to help people, and give knowledge, hopefully to change the world. It was a noble goal in life.

I cursed myself as she lie sleeping, irritated that I couldn't heal her fully, since my magic was still drained. It had all ready taken its toll changing from owl to Fae, and I hadn't sure if I could to complete the process. But when I heard her father hitting her upstairs, I knew I had to do something. And there wasn't much I could do for her as a freak'in owl.

At that moment I ripped some of the sheets, and used some of the fabric strips to tie around her cuts. She was scarred and bruised all over, all from years of abuse. I could control the bleeding, but I hated that I couldn't numb the pain… or could I?

I remembered that the kiss of the Fae could heal almost any wound on a mortal. I wondered if I could help Ellie in that way. She was all ready so startled, I wasn't sure how she would feel about the Goblin King kissing her.

Suddenly I felt her stir on the mattress, and she slowly opened her eyes. Again, those dark green irises cut through me, and I felt myself holding my breath.

"You're not a dream." She murmured, after gazing at me for a while, "You're real."

"Yes." I said softly, "I'm real. And it's all right now. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I'm afraid."

"Don't be."

"You're the Goblin King. I read about you in my books. I… oh God. I had the Goblin King in my company for the past four days." She tried to lift herself, but she let out a small cry of pain in the process and fell back. I grabbed her hand, and she squeezed my fingers as she tried to fight back the hurt.

"You've treated me well." I reassured, "Now, shush. I need to request something of you Ellie."

"What?"

"Do you know that a Fae's kiss can heal any wound on a moral?"

"I think I know where this is going…"

"I can tell you do. Well, if you let me, I think I can make your injuries better. Will you let me kiss your wounds, Ellie?"

"This isn't a joke, right? You're not using this to get your way with me?"

"Wow, I see you have done your homework about me. But no. I won't do that to you." I said, shaking my head. _I might've tried that in any other circumstance, but not now._ I thought. "You're hurt bad, precious thing. I know that you're bleeding inside your mouth, and the bruises on your face have to be killing you."

"There's a pounding in my head, too."

"Then please, let me do this."

"I've never been kissed before."

"It's all right. It's just you and I. And it won't count as a first kiss. This is for healing purposes only." I couldn't take her being in pain like this for much longer. I was getting impatient. "Ellie, I want to help you."

She looked back up at me, her eyes wide and frightened. But finally, she nodded.

I bent down over her, as I carefully drew her to my chest, and brushed her hair back. I first pressed my lips against her forehead, to take care of her aching head, and then to her two black eyes. I watched as the bruises shrunk into unblemished pale skin, and the same happened when I kissed her cheek. I lifted her wrist to kiss the red, finger shaped marks there, and then I moved close to her face.

"Ellie, I know you're bleeding in your mouth." I said, "I may need to get more personal here."

She nodded, and I touched my mouth to hers. For a while I just gently kissed her swollen lips, before dashing my tongue between them to heal the pain there. As soon as I felt her relax, I withdrew my mouth, right after licking her split lip. I watched as the cut mended itself, and was soon unopened skin.

I laid her back down, playing with a strand of her hair as I did so, and then I pulled the covers around her.

"I'll take care of you, Ellie." I swore, "It'll be fine."

For the first time in my Fae form, I saw her smile, and something about that made my heart pound even louder.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: So Sick

_I'm being kissed by the Goblin King. _Ellie thought. _I've never been kissed, and here the Goblin King is… kissing me._

He had just asked permission to kiss her, to know her skin in the most personal way. When he first made his inquiry, she thought it was a joke, a way to get her seduced. She had read of him before, in a velvet red book she had in one of her tubs, and knew of his cunning nature. But he looked deathly serious as he gazed at her, knowing that she had to be in terrible pain.

"Ellie, I want to help you." He had begged, "Please."

She gazed at him, and finally, gave him a nod of permission. It was then he pulled her up to his chest, and began his work. First he kissed her forehead, where in that moment, the pain in her head went from being a hard pounding to a dull ache. Then he did the same to her cheeks and eyes, where she felt the hurt evaporate. Next he lifted her wrist to his mouth, and when he touched it, the tightening pressure placed by her father's fingers vanished.

He backed away from her for a moment, gazing at her softly. "Ellie," he whispered, "I know you're bleeding in your mouth. I may need to get more personal here."

Again she nodded, and braced herself for his lips upon hers. To her surprise his thin lips were soft, and gently molded to her own. For a while he simply kissed her, as though trying to get her used to such a touch, before he gently parted his mouth, forcing her to do the same, and darted his tongue inside. She almost let out a cry of shock, and his hand stroking her fingers calmed her.

He backed away, gently nipping at her lower lip as he did so, and the pain in her mouth dissipated, along with her sore lip. She sat up slowly, unsure of what had just passed between them, and confused as to why she felt butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't lie… she did somewhat enjoy the kiss.

"Are you all right, Ellie?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to you." She said, "I just… I can't believe you're real."

"Well, I'm here in the flesh, aren't I?"

"Clearly. But why are you here? You're the Goblin King. Shouldn't you be taking care of your kingdom?"  
>"I go on a two month hiatus every year, in the Above."<p>

"The Above?"

"The Above is your world, up here on the surface of Earth. I control the Underground. I was taking my vacation up here, when I was struck by lightening, and you rescued me. I thank you for that."

She shrugged. "It's not in me to see anything suffer." She confessed, "I'm sorry, I know that, since you're a king, these accommodations probably aren't what you're used to…"

"You did the best you could." He interrupted, "I don't want you feeling bad about what you gave me. I realize how hard your life is."

Ellie looked down, remembering everything personal she had told him in his owl form the past four days. It made her embarrassed, to think she had dumped all her pain, sad history, and anger on him. "I get by." She said quietly.

"I know. It's been hard for me to watch you, and not able to do anything." He sighed, reaching out to stroke her hair. "But you're very strong. You remind me of a young woman I used to know. She was strong like you. Too stubborn for her own good, but very brave."

Ellie laughed bitterly. "I'm not brave. I don't have the guts to leave my father, knowing that if I did I wouldn't have anywhere else to go. And even though that sometimes seems like a better option when he's beating me, I still can't do it."

"That's called being trapped, not being cowardly." He soothed, "Just because you don't want to live on the streets hungry and without shelter, doesn't make you a coward."

"Well, I suppose you're going to leave." She said, "Now that you're healed up."

"Um, actually… I don't have the magic to go."

She turned toward him. "Huh?"

"I can't leave for a while. When that lightening bolt hit me, I literally had the magic zapped out of me. I recover a little bit of my powers more each day, but it takes a lot of magic to get back to the Underground. I don't even think I can change back to my owl form even. So doll, if you don't mind having me, I think I'm stuck with you for a while."  
>"How long?"<p>

"A few weeks. Four, I think, tops."

"I don't have much food… but I'll try my best."

He chuckled. "You don't worry about that." He held out his hand, and suddenly, a sphere of glass appeared in his palm. It looked like the top of a snow globe, without any water. It was just solid glass. "Tell me what you wish Ellie."

"You said you can't do any magic." She pointed out.

"I can do _some_, but not anything major. However, I think I can get you food. Tell me what you want."

"Huh… okay." She thought for a moment, then decided to she could for a cheese pizza. "I wish the Goblin King would get me a pizza. Right now."

He gasped, and his eyes widened. "You… you…" He uttered.

"What?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing. You just know the magic words, that's all."

"I read about you in a book, remember?"

"Right. Now, for your wish."  
>In that second the glass ball disappeared from his hand, and out of nowhere, a pizza with two plates and forks appeared in front of her. Her mouth began watering, and she had to use all her self-control to not grab at it like an animal.<p>

"Well, go ahead and eat." He urged, "I can sense you're starving."

She looked at him curiously, and reached for a slice of the cheese pizza. She set it on one of the plates, and began to eat. He followed her actions, and joined with her to feast.

"Ellie, which book did you read about me in?" He asked.

"It was a red book, with a velvet cover." She answered, "It's in one of my two tubs, somewhere. I can get it for you."

"No," he said quickly, "It's just… I need to know how you got it. That's an old book, and it's extremely rare."  
>"My mom bought it at a garage sale. She was a book collector, and when she saw that novel, she had to have it. She bought if off a woman who got it from a neighbor, or something like that. I think the lady she got it from was named Samantha, or…"<br>"Sarah?"

Ellie nodded in surprise. "Yeah. But that was eons ago, before my mom moved here with my dad. After she died, and my dad needed money, he began to sell her old books that were of some value. That red book was the only rare one I could save. Everything else went for booze money." She nibbled at her pizza, fighting back the tears that suddenly threatened to burst forth. "I loved those books."

"I'm sorry, Elegance." He whispered, "I hate seeing a person who lost out on their childhood. Death and abuse destroy so much."

"Yeah, it does." She wanted to change the subject… to not let it get so personal. Being personal, that was a dangerous thing for her. The Goblin King probably had heard too much as it was. "Oh," She said suddenly, "this may seem like a silly question to ask, but what's your name? I know, I should've asked earlier. It was rude of me."

He smiled. "It's all right. I'm sure you'd want to call me something other than Goblin King. My name is Jareth."

She smiled warmly. "That's a lovely name."

"So is Elegance DeNoon." He said, "And I've been wanting to tell you that for the past four days."

_***Note from the author: Hello all who are reading. :) I just wanted to say, thank you for reading my very first Labyrinth fan fiction, and I hope you're enjoying it. There's just one little request I ask of you...**_

_**Please review. I honestly have no clue who my audience is, and I would love some feedback. I want to hear what you predict will happen in this story, what you think of Elegance, how you feel about your father's abuse, what you think of Jareth's reactions... you get the point. Even if you just want to say hi, post a review about it. LOL Just let me know that my posting is not in vain. Thanks!**_

_**Yours truly, Diana **_

_**PS- The more you review, the more I post. ;)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_Jareth's POV_

Chapter Seven: Heartbeat

Fate is a curious thing, is it not? First I end up in Ellie's house when a lightening bolt hits me (which the odds of that happening are insane), and then I learn that the book that once connected me with Sarah was now in her possession, thanks to a garage sale and her mother's love for books. The only thing I could think as I connected all the dots was, _What the bloody hell?_

I sighed, and watched Ellie as she ate her pizza, trying her best to keep a hold of her self-control and not scarf it down. I knew she was borderline starving. She probably had not eaten this well in a long time. She looked at me, as though asking for permission to have another slice of pizza, and I smiled. I wanted to tell her she didn't have to ask my blessing to do every small thing. Her father had built that automatic fear in her, I guess. Watching how timid she was made me want to kill the son of a bitch more than ever. I wondered how she would feel if her father suddenly 'disappeared'. I decided not to ask, since her state was so fragile right now.

"Does the lady DeNoon wish for anything else?" I asked, as she finally pushed her plate away after the third slice.

She shook her head, her gorgeous black hair flying about her. "No, I'm all right." She answered, "Thank you so much."

"While I'm here, you won't starve precious. I promise. I'm going to give you everything I can."

"Oh, but this meal is thank you enough!" She protested, "Really, I don't deserve…"

"Darling, it will be my job to decide what you do, and do not, deserve." I leaned in, and gently placed a hand on her cheek, "And I quite frankly believe you deserve everything I can give you, and no pain."

I waved my hand, and the plates and pizza disappeared. She giggled.

"Wow, good food without the clean up." She said, "I've been forced to clean the kitchen since, well, forever. I wish I had that power."

I grinned and shook my head. "I'm sorry, that's the one thing I can't give you. I don't have enough magic in me to do that."

"No, it's all right, really, I don't mean to seem ungrateful…" She said hurriedly.

"I was teasing, precious thing. Just teasing." I looked down at her, and suddenly, the image of my fingers running through her hair flittered through my mind. I could see her, dipping herself back in my arms, allowing my hands to move lower toward her neck, and then…

I stopped myself then. Why was I thinking about her like that? She was being a gracious host, and here I was, not being the respectful guest I should be. But I suppose thinking something, and keeping it to yourself, never hurt anyone. Yet, still, I wondered…

"Ellie," I said, "may I ask something?"

"Of course." She answered, leaning back against the concrete wall, "What is it?"

I felt a jab of pain in my chest as I watched her relax in her prison. It sickened me that she was so used to living in such cruel conditions, that her father had forced his upon her.

"May I brush your hair?" I asked, trying to get my mind off the fury that was building inside of me.

She glanced at me. "Say what?"

"Your hair. I would like to brush it if you don't mind."

She sat up, and looked at my quizzically. "Why?"

"Why?" I repeated, "Because I want to do something nice for you, and I can't do anything too wondrous because my magic is low. So I have to do something that doesn't require magic. I know that you like your hair. I can tell by how long it is, and how carefully you brush it. I used to watch you do so as an owl. So, is it okay if I brush your hair?"

She looked down and sighed. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to get so defensive about things. I'm not used to…"

"Having people do things for you? I know."

"Compassion is something I've only seen in small doses, that's all."

"I understand."

She was quiet for a few moments, and then she inched over toward me. "You can brush my hair." She finally said, "That would be nice."

"Great." I said, relieved that my request hadn't made her uncomfortable.

She stood up and pulled out her plastic pink brush from the second cardboard box she had. She handed it to me, and then sat down on the mattress cross-legged. I moved to where she was, and sat behind her. Carefully I pulled the brush through her hair, gently smoothing out the tangles when I had to.

"When I get more of my magic back," I began, still running the brush through her hair, "I'll turn this plastic thing into a brush of silver, with a handlebar of crystal. Dark, green crystal just for you."

"You remembered my favorite color." She said pleasantly.

"I did. Ellie, I don't want you to censor yourself with me. I learned so much about you when I was an owl… I liked being talked to like I wasn't a king. It makes me feel like I actually know you. Will you speak honestly with me, my dear? Will you treat me as a normal person?"

"Jareth, I'll try. I just don't want to make you angry."

"I know that I am powerful my dear, as a king, but I won't be cruel to you. I learned my lesson long ago, about being overly cruel…" _Fear me, love me… why did I say those words twenty years ago? And damn it, why am I thinking about that now?_

"No, it's not because you're a king." Her voice brought me back to reality. "I just don't want to make you angry, because I like you."

I smiled at her innocence, at her purity that somehow had not been killed, despite her father's hatred. I leaned in close to her, and pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"Your thoughts and perception are your own." I said, "Whatever you voice, I can't deny that as your reality. I may not agree with what you believe in, but I won't dislike you for it. Don't change yourself for me. Besides, arguing about certain things, that's part of the fun."

"The fun of what?"

"Having a relationship. Being friends."

She turned to me. "You're my friend?"

My brow rose in surprise. "Yes, I'm your friend. I, I can be what you need me to be." I lifted my hand, to gently caress her cheek, "I know you. I spent four days getting to knowing you. I want to be a companion to you."

"So, does this mean I'm your friend too?"

"Yes. Of course it does, silly girl."

She gave a small smile. "Okay." She looked at her alarm clock then. "It's getting late. It's near one in the morning."

"So it is. Do you want to sleep?"

She nodded, and I got off the bed. "I'll take the floor." I offered.

"Hey, who says we can't share?" She suggested.

That night I lay there, with Ellie's arms around me, and her head against my chest. And even though I missed my large bed back in my kingdom, which had my satin pillows and silk sheets… I wouldn't have traded that for the single, ten plus year old mattress that I was laying on with Ellie beside me.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Birthday

For the next seven days, life was happy for Ellie. Every morning she woke up next to Jareth, who literally, kept her warm at night. His arms would be around her waist, and her front would be pressed tightly to his. She would be up first, and since her father would be at work, she would change and get a quick shower in her bathroom. By the time she walked back downstairs, Jareth would be cleaned up and dressed (he usually wore his leather pants with a variation in the style and color of his poet's shirt), which she guessed he did by magic. They would eat together something he'd conjure up, and then she would leave him again to clean the house. By the time she came back down an hour later, he would be ready to read a story from one of the books he'd chosen from the two tubs, or she would read while he brushed her hair or rubbed her back. After that, they'd talk until lunch, and then maybe she'd do some writing while he napped, or he'd sing her to sleep so they could stay up talking later. He had a lovely voice, not the greatest in all the world, but it was soothing and relaxed her.

And then, after the afternoon hours passed, evening came, and Ellie would have to go upstairs and cook for her father. Ellie knew that Jareth dreaded these hours the most. After every meal her father would beat her, punishing her for _something_: the meal wasn't cooked well, the bathroom wasn't clean enough, she was stealing from him, ect. Ellie would try to get downstairs as fast as she could, and Jareth would be waiting to shut and lock the door. While her father pounded on the outside wall to get in, Jareth would pull Ellie on the bed with him, and rock her back and forth, while they waited for the evil man to go away.

Finally, when all was still, he would begin the process of kissing her wounds. Sometimes it took only five minutes, other times, forty. For Jareth, there was no pleasure in tasting her skin, no passion. He was just doing what he had to do, so she wouldn't hurt any longer. The end of the day would be Jareth telling her it was going to be okay, and that one day, she would break free of her father. Those small moments at night were full of hope, and thus they mattered most to Ellie.

The eighth day of Jareth being in his Fae form rolled around. Ellie got up early, for today was a special day, a day she loved and dreaded. She tried not to wake Jareth as she sneak out of the basement, and upstairs toward the living room. She looked on the calendar, to see it was June 22nd… and that today, she had turned eighteen. It was a milestone for her. After she graduated next year, and got into college, she could leave her father and never have to come back. Even though she was still trapped in his home now, eighteen was a step in the right direction. After that came graduation, college, and then freedom.

She got a quick shower, deciding that she would wear her favorite red blouse and jeans, with a bit of makeup (other than what she used to cover her bruises). She not only wanted to know she was eighteen, but look it. By the time she pulled up her hair, and did her makeup, she easily could have passed for twenty. She had on dark eye shadow with mascara and red lipstick. Her hair was in a high, curled ponytail with a flower pin clipped on it. Satisfied with how she looked, she walked downstairs to see Jareth.

Today he was wearing a black poets shirt, with his usual leather pants and riding boots. Seeing her walk in the room, he quickly stood, and she noticed that his eyes widened.

"You look beautiful." He said, studying her.

She giggled. "Thanks Jareth." She leaned into him for a hug, and he held her close to him. "Good morning, by the way."

"Good morning, precious. So tell me, why do you look so ravishing today?"

She smiled, not wanting to tell him about her birthday. It didn't matter anyway. "I just felt like it, that's all."

He grinned. "You should feel like it more often. Now, come, let's eat."

So they sat down on the floor, and this time, breakfast was sweet, warm oatmeal in white bowls, with fresh orange juice in glass goblets.

"Aren't you afraid you'll spoil me?" She asked, taking a swig of orange juice. "You treat me so well, Jareth."

"No." He stated, "I'm afraid I won't spoil you enough. I want you so spoiled that I'll have to bathe you in salt to preserve you."

She laughed. He had the funniest ways of saying things. She loved being around him. She had never felt his comfortable with anyone in her life. "You're too nice to me."

"You deserve fine things, Ellie." He said matter of factly, "I believe truly good people deserve good things." He leaned in. "I just thought you knew."

"Knew what?"

He moved forward and kissed her forehead. "That you are my princess, my heroine. And in fairytales, do those people not earn good things?"

She shrugged. "I can't get used to how you treat me, Jareth. When you're gone, I'll be in my private hell again."

"Then I'll have to come visit you, and bring you lavish gifts. True friends don't leave each other forever. They may be gone for certain periods of time, but they're always connected through their hearts."

"That's a beautiful way to think of it."

He smiled. "It's true."

After breakfast, she left to go clean the house, and then returned to find him with _Jane Eyre_ in his hands. Happily he read her the chapter about Jane first coming to Thornfield Hall, and hearing the mysterious laughing in the higher levels of the house. Then they ate lunch, and the rest of the day went on as usual… until the evening hours rolled along.

Ellie was leaning next to Jareth on the bed, as he was telling her about the creatures in the Underworld, when suddenly they heard her father slam open the front door. She jumped. Whenever he started slamming stuff right away… that was never a good sign. The next few hours were going to be long for her.

"Ellie," Jareth sighed, realizing this along with her, "Don't go to him tonight. Please."

"You know I can't. I have to go."

"No."

"Jareth, I can't ignore him. That'll only make things worse for tomorrow."

She stood up, but he grabbed a hold of her hand. "Precious?"

She turned to him, staring at their joined hands. "Yes?"

He bent down, and gently kissed her knuckles. "Be safe."

She nodded silently, and then walked upstairs to face her father.

He stood in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge on the hunt for a beer. For a moment she considered sneaking back down stairs, but he closed the refrigerator suddenly, and saw her.

"You look like a whore." He said, studying her makeup.

She glanced down. "What do you want to eat, dad?"

"Heat me up some of that soup from last night." He demanded.

She nodded, and watched as he sat down on the couch to turn on some TV. Quickly, she grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, and pulled the Tupperware filled with last night's taco soup out of the fridge. She put some of it in the bowl, then shoved it into the microwave. Next she got out a spoon, and as soon as the timer went off, pulled the soup out.

She made sure it was heated thoroughly, and then walked over to hand it to her father. He took it from her without a word, and started eating it. When the bowl was empty, he looked over it, and set it on the in table next to him. Ellie stood there, stunned. Maybe he remembered today was her birthday. Maybe, he wasn't going to beat her tonight.

Yet suddenly he stood, grabbing the bowl, and he threw it at her. She ducked, and it hit the wall with a loud crash, shattering upon impact. Her heart began to race, as he grabbed her, and threw her to the ground. He kicked her legs, as she let out a howl of pain, and then he aimed for her face. She turned quickly, just as his foot hit the square of her back.

She screamed, and begged him to stop. "Daddy, please, don't, please! Dad!"

He bent down and picked up a shard of the bowl that was right next to her. Her eyes widened, as he kneeled down, holding her wrists in one of his large hands, while the other held the shard.

"Oh God!" She cried, "Don't, dad, please!"

But he ignored her, as he slashed the shard across her chest, and she let out a scream.

"That'll teach you to dress like a whore." He said, "You show this house more respect than that!"

He let go of her, and she staggered toward the stairs. She could feel the blood seethe through the untorn fabric of her shirt, and she pressed her hand over the wound. In seconds she was down in the basement, opening the door to her room. And there Jareth was, waiting for her, as she fell to the ground. He slammed the door shut as quickly as he could, then bolted the locks.

"By the Gods, what did he do to you this time?" He asked urgently.

She looked up at him, and lowered her hand. He saw the gash, the blood, the torn shirt… and he put the pieces together.

"The Gods." He uttered horrified.

In a flash he picked her up off the floor, and laid her down on the mattress. He pulled back a few pieces of the torn shirt, and seeing where his lips would be, he looked at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry." He said, trying to keep calm, "This will be invading on your privacy a bit, but I have to do it. I'll let you slap me afterwards, okay?" And then, without saying anything else, he bent down and kissed her wound, along with half of her most private self.

Ellie was coherent enough to realize she didn't mind him kissing her like that. In fact, in that moment where she thought she possibly might die, she realized two very important things:

Number One: She was in love with Jareth

And Number Two: She wasn't afraid of being close to someone and cherished. At least, not now. She had been afraid of her father all her life. She didn't want to be scared of anything else now. She faced hell every day at home. So why fear it?

Seconds later he pulled away from her, and turned so that she wouldn't have to watch him wipe the faint traces of blood from his mouth. This was her very first terribly bloody wound she had received. She guessed that if he was going to heal her, having his lips lightly stained with her blood would have to be done. But she couldn't help but think of him as a vampire in that moment, and it made her body react with a shiver.

When he faced her again, he asked, "Where else does it hurt?"

She pointed out the spots on her legs, and where her father had hit her back. Soon those pains vanished, and half an hour later, they were lying down on the mattress beside each other, Jareth trying to comfort her silently.

"Jareth?" She said softly, after minutes of quiet.

"Yes, precious?"

"Today's my birthday. I'm eighteen now."

He lifted his upper body to look down on her, and sighed. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have made today extra special for you."

"You treat me amazingly all ready. That would be hard for me to imagine."

"You doubt my skills, darling?" He joked, smoothing her hair back.

"No. It's just, when it's never been this good, it's hard to imagine better."

She could tell he didn't know how to react to that, so he simply said, "Well, you still should have told me."

"My birthday hasn't been celebrated for years. I forget that it's a big occasion."

He sighed. "Well, why don't you tell me what you want right now? And if I can't give you it with my magic at so low a level, I'll give you it later, when I'm fully recovered."

Ellie looked up at him, and moved closer to him, while her arm snaked around his neck.

"I wish the Goblin King would kiss me and ravish me." She whispered, "Right. Now."


	9. Chapter 9

_Jareth's POV_

Chapter Nine: A Spark in the Night

"Excuse me?" I breathed, "Ellie, I'm not sure if I heard you right…" _I swear to the Gods, this girl had just claimed she wanted me to…_

"I wish the Goblin King would kiss me and ravish me right now." Elegance DeNoon repeated, in a whispery voice.

I had to stop myself from gaping at her. This beautiful woman child, this… fair ice maiden, who had never been held or kissed by a man, wanted me to take her in my arms? Why now did I feel that slight quiver of desire radiate off her? What had happened to have changed things so suddenly? Why was the look of womanhood creeping on her, as the passionate haze in her eyes started to grow?

I looked over her soft, enticing form laying before me, and my mouth went dry. By the Gods, she was so beautiful. I did want her. I couldn't deny that. I did.

Yet she was my first real friend, the one person who had spoken honestly with me. She had taken care of me, and looked after me, on such a deep and personal level. No one else had ever done so. No one else had ever dared to be so close. Could I have a friend and a love? That possibility had never quite entered my mind. The last woman I felt this close to…

No. Ellie's offer couldn't be real. It was I who made the offers, who made the sacrifices, who held the power. Yet here Elegance was, wanting to be drunk up like wine from the most beautiful chalice.

"Who hurt you, Jareth?"

Her question pulled me from my thoughts, and I watched as Ellie sat up to gaze down at me.

"Why do you ask that Ellie?" I inquired.

She reached out and touched my cheek. "Because you were crying." 

I shook my head and sat up too. "No, Goblin Kings don't…" I began.

But she withdrew her hand, and I saw my tears on her fingertips. I reached up to my face, and also felt the warm, salty water.

"Who hurt you, my precious thing?" She asked again.

I looked at her, and was stunned that she had called me her own pet name. The idea was almost inconceivable that I was someone's 'precious'. No one had ever regarded me like that. I was either 'your majesty' or 'your royal highness' or to other women 'hot', 'seductive', 'sexy'… but all those terms were shallow. That simple 'precious thing' meant so much more to me than any other complimentary adjective I had been described as.

"Here, let us have candles." I said, sweeping my hand across the room to make about twenty or so lit candles appear on the floor around the mattress. "A sad story can only be told with candlelight."

I waved my hand to shut off the light switch, leaving only the soft lighting around us. It made Ellie look completely different, almost like she should've been a passionate creature of the night. I couldn't help but lean forward, to take her hands in mine.

"It was over twenty years ago." I began. "When I fell in love with a woman named Sarah Williams. I watched for two years, and was amazed by her strong will and intelligence. She was a dreamer… a pure, beautiful dreamer. Yes, she was stubborn and spoiled, but we all have our flaws. She was just this spirited creature… it took my breath away. One day she wished her younger brother, only a year old, Toby to the Underground. I only did as she asked, yet she wanted to undo what she had done. So, I struck up a bargain. If she could solve my labyrinth I had in thirteen hours, she could have her brother back. If not, I would keep Toby and turn him into a goblin. So, she took up the task and… by the Gods, she did it. She actually _did it_. And while I should have been mad, that only made me love her more. I begged her to stay. I told her to fear me, to love me, and I would be her slave and give her anything. And then, she realized that my magic, my world, had no power over her. Because, if she didn't want to stay with me, I would have let her and her brother go anyway because…"

"You loved her." Ellie finished.

I nodded, and felt tears coming to my eyes again. I tried to fight them back, but while the tears stayed where they were, a sob came out of my mouth.

"Damn it!" I moaned, covering my face, "By the Gods, Goblin Kings don't cry!"

"Jareth," She whispered, pulling my hands from my face, "maybe Goblin Kings don't cry, but handsome Faes who loved deeply, they can."

"And how do you know that?"

She shrugged. "I read it in a book somewhere."

I couldn't help but smile at her, and pull her close to my chest. She let out a deep breath, and wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm guessing you won't kiss me then." She sighed.

I backed away to look at her and push her hair back.

"Elegance, I thought you knew."

"Knew what?"

"That you remind of the babe."

She looked at my quizzically. "The babe?"

"The babe with the power."

"The power of what?"

"The power of love, my precious thing. The power to make a Goblin King fall in love again."

And with that I kissed her lips, and pushed her down onto the mattress. I was going to make this the best night of her life, or I would die trying.

_***NOTE from the author: No, there aren't any 'overly-passionate-mad-love' scenes in the next chapters and oncoming installments… but it doesn't mean that Jareth and Ellie don't have some kind of romantic interlude. Everything else that would be rated MA, I hint at. Remember, I'm keeping it classy. Everything I do describe I've seen in other teen novels before. So if it still makes you uncomfortable, don't read. **_

_**PS- I just want to say, thank you guys for all the support. If I had known that this story was going to be such a hit, I would have made it longer. But alas there are only five chapters left, and that will be all. Maybe in the future I might write another Labriynth fic involving Sarah if, well I don't know, my reader's hassel me enough. ;) But I won't write a sequel or anything to this story. I personally believe that some characters and what not should be laid to rest when the story is at an end. **_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Midnight Sonata

Ellie wrapped her arms tightly around Jareth as he kissed her inexperienced lips. He was gentle with her as he molded his mouth to fit hers, before darting his tongue inside to explore the damp cervices. She ran a hand through his hair as he did so, and pressed her chest closer to his.

Suddenly he backed away to take off his shirt. As he lifted it over his head, she watched as he revealed his slightly muscled chest, smooth and pale in the candlelight. Her eyes widened, and he laughed.

"Dear sweet, you are new to this, aren't you?" He said gently. "Don't worry, I'll take it slow. I won't take you fully until you get used to the lighter side of _us_." He bent down to kiss her face, and then moved his lips to her neck. "Don't be afraid love. Don't be afraid." He whispered.

"Afraid of what?" She said.

Without answering, he kissed her neck a few times, before opening his mouth and biting down. She jumped at his touch, which only urged him on. It was a sweet pain, which let her know she was wanted.

He nicked at her throat a bit more, before moving to her upper chest, and then lower. She squirmed beneath him, wanting something she didn't quite have the name for. He knew what she desired, and decided to give her a taste of it.

"Elegance," He breathed, backing away from her, "do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Of course I do, Jareth."

He sighed, and his hands moved to her pelvis, encased by her tight jeans. He smiled. He didn't like denim personally, but at least hers were form fitting. That would enhance everything he was about to do. Carefully he aligned his hips with hers, and pushed forward, letting her get a glimpse of what she would feel later, even though it was still through their clothing.

She let out a gasp at the unexpected hint of pleasure. Her arms tightened around his neck as he leaned down to gently kiss her lips, before repeating his gesture. This was all new to her. She had never felt like this, ever. Again he moved before asking quietly, "Do you like that, Ellie?"

She couldn't speak, so she only nodded. He smiled, and moved over and over again without stopping. He gently rocked her back and forth, secretly wishing they could connect without any barriers, but knowing that this was new to her and they had to take things one action had a time. And this wasn't _not_ enjoyable. He liked having that slight power over her, and the contact… it was nice. The feeling of her was indescribable, to at last be that close.

As he moved a certain craziness was mounting inside Ellie, an insane reaction that she didn't know where it would lead. Warmth spread throughout her body, and she felt herself sometimes rise to meet his action. She felt like she was on the edge, and that maybe he would hurl her off into darkness.

"Jareth," She suddenly whispered, "Jareth I'm scared!"

He looked down at her, saw the fear on her innocent face, and he rolled himself off of her and to her side. When he was no longer above her, he took her in his arms and held her close.

"I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized, "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting how new this is to you. It wasn't my intent to alarm you."

"No, it isn't you, Jareth really." She said, "What you did to me felt amazing. I just didn't know how to react with what was happening inside of me."

He smiled. "How about you try to explain it to me? I guessing you never had your mother or father talk to you about this, so I suppose I'm the next best thing."

She blushed. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want this to be weird for you."

"Ellie, you know that I'm not inexperienced with this." He soothed, "So go ahead and try to explain it to me."

She nodded, and leaned in to whisper in his ear everything that had been going on with her in those moments. It took her about five minutes to explain everything, and when she was done, he chuckled softly.

"Oh precious," He sighed, "You really are so, so innocent. And don't take that as me making fun of you. I know that no one has taken the time to explain these things. Now, what you felt, that was a good thing. It meant that you were, well… look, do I have to explain where babies come from? Or do you know that much?"

She laughed. "I know that. I just don't know what those things feel like, or what teasing is like, or how to just… do what feels right."

He turned to her, and now it was his turn to whisper in hear ear the many personal things about her body that she simply didn't know. By the time he was done with his long explanation (which took about thirty minutes instead of five) she felt like she now had somewhat of a grip on what was going on, and what would go on in the future.

"So," She said, "I could do that to you?"

"Yes." He finished, "If the circumstance and angle is right."

"Oh God."

He laughed, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not used to innocence, but how I love yours! Dear precious, do you know I love you?"

She gasped. "You love me?"

"Yes sweet thing, I do."

"No one's loved me in a long time."

"Well I love you. So there."

She smiled. "Jareth, I love you too!" She cried, now being brave and kissing his lips. He matched her excitement, and after kissing, she backed away and asked timidly, "Could we try again what you did to me earlier?"

"Only if you're okay with it." He said.

"Yeah, I'll be okay with it. Please Jareth. I think I want you to."

He nodded, and found his place above her again. "Tell me if you want me to stop."

She aligned herself closer to him, and smiled. "I'll let you know, but I think I'll be fine. Knowledge is power after all."

With that he gave a warm grin, and bent down to kiss her. There his movements began, and this time, she didn't pull away. Later on that night, for the first time ever, she felt her inner core be rocked as he made one single movement, just right, to hurl her off towards the heavens. When she came back down her hair was damp with sweat, and her lips were swollen from his kisses. Even her blouse was now wrinkled, and her jeans felt tight on her. Jareth was next to her, stroking her hair, and smiling contently, realizing the full extent of what he had just done to her.

"Did you like that, precious?" He asked, watching her as she placed a hand on his bare shoulder.

"Yes." She sighed, "I very much did. It, it was amazing, Jareth." She looked up at him, and then noticed his grin. "But… why are you smiling? I didn't do anything to you."

"Oh, but you did, darling." He chuckled. "You did. Seeing you so far gone," He tilted her head up, and kissed her lightly before finishing his statement. "Seeing you so far gone, reminded me that I can move the stars for someone, without using magic. And that is a great treasure."

She nodded in understanding, then whispered, "Thank you for my wish, Jareth."

"No, love, thank you for wishing it. Happy birthday, Ellie."

"Yeah, it is a happy birthday."

And with a final kiss, Jareth waved his hands to make the candles disappear, and they both fell asleep at each other's side.


	11. A Thank you from the Author

A Thank You from the Author

Hello all my readers! Well, I guess the title says it all... I just wanted to stop and say thank you reading my work. This story has completely blast off after a slow start, and I have so many people adding this to their fave story list, it's crazy. And THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS. Wow, I just feel so honored that you guys, after I begged for reviews, got to it and wrote some out. You are all wonderful! And for those who don't review, please, don't be shy and let your voice be heard. Authors love the feedback, and it really makes them happy. You may not think it matters, but having that critique does. It makes us feel good about our work, and helps us be better authors.

Well, here's where I post some bad news: there are only four chapters left to the story. Yes, I know, I'm sorry I didn't write more, but I had NO idea my fic would be such a hit.

So, here's another announcement that I want to make: I have decided that since this fic has gone over so well, that I'll write another Labryinth fic. Just because so many added me as a favorite author *HUGS* and not just added my story to your alerts. But first I plan on finishing my Phantom of the Opera fic (and don't worry, it's almost completed on my personal computer.) After I finish writing the rest of it on there, I'll start to work on the fic. So you might ask, well, what will tide us over until then?

Well, if you ARE a Phantom fan (or at least apperciate Phantom of the Opera) I am writing a modern day fan fic called "Silver Rain: A Modern Day Phantom of the Opera". It's also rated T, and has the same kind gentle romantic feel as this fic. I have 24 chapters of it posted all ready, so please, check it out and feel free to review past chapters.

Anyway, I hope to see you guys around in the next upcoming weeks, and keep the reviews coming. Again, thank you for your support, and I'll continue to keep writing for you, the reader, in mind.

Love ya lots!

~Diana

PS- I'll publish another chapter of Breathe tomorrow. ;) I promise.


	12. Chapter 11

_Jareth's POV_

Chapter Eleven: Carried Away

That woman drove me absolutely crazy. Normally I didn't like the innocent types, but with Ellie, being with someone took on a whole new meaning. She satisfied all of me, not just my physical being, but my spirit too. Even Sarah wasn't this close to me as I feel Ellie is.

After showing her passion for the first time, I woke up the next morning to find her absent from my side. I knew that she was probably upstairs taking a shower, and secretly, I wished I could join her. But instead I conjured up a washbasin, cleaned up myself, and then made a new shirt appear for me to wear. This time, it was dark red. I wondered if she would like that. Maybe I should've gone with black instead.

As I thought all this, I heard Ellie come downstairs, and then enter the room. I turned, to see her wearing jeans with a simple white tank and belt. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she was wearing a bit of red lipstick. It was a sexy look for her. Simple, but sexy. I had a feeling that was exactly what she was going for.

"Hey beautiful." I said standing to greet her.

She leaned into me, her cheek against the skin of my chest revealed by my shirt. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and kissed the top of her head.

"Ellie," I whispered, "as soon as I get better, I want you to come back to the Underground with me."

She looked up at me, her eyes shining. "Really?"

"Yes. I mean it. I'll give you a room in my castle, and you can stay there. We can rule my kingdom, you and I. Just… just love me, Elegance. Love me and I'll give you everything you've ever wanted."

"So, I don't have to fear you?"

I shook my head and smiled. "No. Just… by the Gods, how do I say this? Ellie, I want you to marry me."

"Jareth, I… I can't. You're immortal and I'm a human. It wouldn't work."

"Dear, everything that lives in the Underground doesn't age. You'll become immortal too, as you eat the food there and become part of that world. You join that kingdom, and it joins you. You'll be like me, except without the powers. But you'll live forever."

She pulled out of my arms, and sat down on the mattress, sighing. My heart sank. Here I was, reliving my failure twenty years ago, now.

"Jareth, I want to marry you." She said, "I want to be with you. But I do have my own dreams. I want to graduate high school, and go to college, and be a journalist. I want to live out my life, and change the world."

I sat next to her, and took her hands. Of course she had her dreams, and her goals. I wanted her to live, and get an education, if that is what she yearned for. I knew we could make this work.

"Elegance, we can do all that then." I said, "You can go to school and stay with me in my kingdom. Then after you graduate you can go to college, and if I have to, I'll go back and forth between these worlds to see you, and then when I can, I'll take you back with me. You may not be immortal, but you'll age slowly. And then when you're ready to come to me, and stay in the Underground permanently, we can do that and live together forever. Darling, is that what you want? Tell me, precious. Tell me."

She wrapped her arms around me, and kissed me. "Yes, yes it is."

"Then, you'll marry me?"

She laughed. "Yes."

I smiled, and held out my hand. In that moment a silver ring appeared, with a moon/crescent shaped diamond at it center. On the sides of the ring was the inscription: "The moon may change, but we will not" written in the old language of the Fae. I took her left hand, and prepared myself to slip the band over her ring finger.

"Elegance, are you sure you want this?" I asked.

She nodded, and at last I placed it over her finger. She looked at the ring for a few seconds, examining how it looked, and then entwined her hand in mine.

"So, it's that simple?" She said, "I'm your wife?"

I shrugged. "Yes, it's really that simple. Thanks to that ring, we're bound by magic and an unbreakable vow to be faithful to each other, and respectful."

"It's a beautiful ring."

"Thank you. It has been passed down through out my family since the dawning of time. It even belonged to my grandmother."

"Who is she?"

"Tatiana."

She giggled. "Wow, I'm now part of the fairy queen's family."

"Darling, you're forgetting one thing."

"What?"

"You are a queen now. And tonight," I smiled, "oh yes, tonight, we'll make our bound even more official."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Forever and a Day

Nervously, Ellie waited for night to come. Her father wouldn't be home, since he was going out to a bar, so it would give her and Jareth plenty of time alone. And she was liking that idea more and more by the minute.

It was hard to imagine, she was a queen and a bride now. If someone had told her three weeks ago that this would happen to her, she would have laughed at them until she was blue in the face. But it was happening now, and it was very real. She was now bound to a mystical king, and he to her. And every time she thought about it, it made her giddy.

It seemed to Jareth that he was trying to make up for not having her birthday celebrated the day before. The food he conjured up was more elaborate, and he actually managed to turn her pink plastic brush into the silver and crystal one he promised her days ago.

"My magic is getting better now, Ellie." He said, as she fingered the brush wonderingly, "I might be able to get us out of here sooner than I thought."

"Jareth, how are we going to leave anyway?" She asked.

`"Simple. We just… leave. Since you're eighteen, if you decide to go, your father can't do anything about it. We'll be so happy together."

"I know." She said, "I have faith. But Jareth, do you promise, that you'll never hit me?"

He seemed upset that she would have to ask such a question, but realizing her background, he understood. "Never." He swore.

"Or demean me?"

"Of course not."

"Or yell at me?"

"We may fight dear heart." He said, "Most couples do. But I'd never raise my voice unnecessarily at you."

"Good."

"Your life here will not be like what the future holds for us. You will never starve, or want, for anything."

He kissed her forehead, and they sat down together on the mattress. It was then he began to tell her about the Underground, and started to describe the creatures and area. He told her about the goblins, about the Bog of Eternal Stench, and about the Labyrinth itself. She listened to him, captivated by all he described. She felt like she was in a fairytale, and that maybe she could have her happy ending after all.

At last night rolled around, and they sat across the floor from each other, eating that night's supper. Jareth had conjured up Ellie's favorite meal, lasagna with garlic bread and salad. Candles were lit all around them, and she was wearing a dark blue skirt that went well with her white tank. At last they were done eating, and Jareth and her stood up.

"Darling," He said, "are you ready to commit yourself fully as my bride?"

Ellie gripped his hand, and nodded. "I'm scared, but yes."

"What are you scared of?"

"Jareth, what if I get pregnant?"

He softly chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. "Is that all you're afraid of? Darling, I can't give you a child Above. I can only do so Underground. Fae can't conceive or create a child in a world without magic."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm a hundred percent absolutely sure."

"I trust you."

"I know you do, precious. I know. So I'm going to do this the right way, and the best that I possibly can."

He picked her up, and carried her toward the mattress, making the dishes and supper mess vanish as he did so. He carefully set her down on the folds of the covers, and then bent down over her to kiss her.

"If you want me to stop at anytime, you tell me." He said.

"That's nice to know, but I won't. I love you Jareth. I'm your bride now. Even though there isn't a ceremony, you know I'm yours."

"And I belong to you. Oh, and don't worry about a ceremony. My mother will want to have one when we get back. She's been wanting me to get married for the past four hundred years."

"Is your mother the queen now? Or is Tatiana?"

"She's next in line for the throne of Avalon, but Tatiana is still queen, and probably will be for a long time to come. Remember? Faes don't die of old age."

"How did you get to rule the Underground then if…?"

He laughed. "Simple, no one else wanted to." He undid her hair from its ponytail, and let it fall about her on the pillow. "Let's not speak about my kingdom anymore. We have plenty of time to talk about it. Eternity, in fact. But right now, we only have one 'first night' of you being my bride."

He kissed the side of her face, and sat up to take off his shirt.

"Now precious, this may hurt in the beginning." He warned.

"Oh, I'm not worried." She teased, "I'm sure you'll kiss it to make it better."

He looked down at her, and smiled wickedly. "You, my girl, are _brilliant_." He said.


	14. Chapter 13

_Jareth's POV_

Chapter Thirteen: The Sound of Fury

It was almost three o'clock in the morning, and while Ellie was curled up by my side sound asleep, rest evaded me. I wanted to soak up this night, and remember every second of it. This, after all, was my wedding night. Now Ellie and I were not only connected by our hearts, but by our physical beings.

When I saw her vulnerable in front of me, the scars on her abdomen and legs made me sick to my stomach. No, Ellie was still beautiful, but knowing that her father did this to her without remorse made me shiver. The soft, jagged pink lines ran across her skin every which way, and sometimes crisscrossed. I wanted to make her forget about such rejection. Past, scars, and all, I loved her and accepted her. After all, I was giving the rest of my eternal being to her.

The first part of our connecting was painful for my bride, and the tears she tried to hold back filled me with guilt. But finally she relaxed, and both of us crescendo-ed to our bodies' music. She actually screamed, which made me feel amazing. I took a moment to soak in what I had achieved with her, and I couldn't help but give myself a mental pat on the back. _By the Gods, I am good._ I thought vainly. _And my bride is as good as me._ I replayed the image of us over and over in my head. It brought me peace and fulfillment

Suddenly Ellie stirred beside me, pulling me from my thoughts. "Jareth," She moaned in her sleep, "Jareth, I love you."

I sighed, and whispered back, "And I love you, Elegance. I love you so much, that when we go back to the Underground, I'll give you a star from the sky. I'll pick out the brightest star, and snatch it up for you."

And, as though she heard me, she snuggled closer to my side and smiled in her sleep. At last I too closed my eyes, and let myself get lost in the land of dreams.

The next morning I awoke to the sound of the basement door opening, and closing, and I opened my eyes to see Ellie dressed, with her hair damp from her shower.

"Good morning, precious." I said.

She turned away from the door, and smiled seeing that I was awake. She wore jeans shorts and a dark green t-shirt, which made her eyes pop. My ring was the only piece of jewelry she wore, though when we got back to the Underground, I planned on placing all the royal jewels at her feet.

"Hey you," She greeted, walking over to the mattress, then bending down to kiss me. "How are you feeling?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I said, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her down next to me. "Considering last night…"

She giggled, and ran her hand through my hair. "_I_ am fine, thank you very much. A bit sore, but I guess that is to be expected. Oh, and one more thing." She pulled down the collar of her shirt, to reveal her shoulder. Against the pale skin I saw a bruise, almost in the perfect shape of bite mark. Honestly, I couldn't remember biting her, but I had to have. I almost began to apologize, but when I saw her amused grin, I stopped myself.

"Do you want me to heal that for you?" I inquired.

"Nope." She stated, pulling her shirt up again. "I quite like it."

"Well then, I guess I'll have to keep redoing that little mark for you, won't I?"

"I guess you will."

Suddenly from upstairs, we heard a door slam open, and Ellie's father calling to her.

"Ellie, get your ass up here now! ELLIE!"

I turned looked at her in shock, and asked worriedly, "Isn't your dad supposed to be at work?"

She seemed as surprised as I was. "I, I don't know why he's still here." She said, "But I have to go."

"Elegance…"

"Jareth, you know I don't have a choice in this. Until we escape, I have to do what he says."

I sighed, shaking my head as she stood. I felt useless and powerless, watching her as she left the basement to, literally, go to her father so he could beat the living daylights out of her. And without my wide range of powers, there was nothing I could do about it.

After she left, I conjured up some dark pants and a red and black velvet shirt, which actually had buttons that closed at the front for once. I got dressed, straining my ears so I could try to hear what was going on between Ellie and her father. I heard the muffled sound of his yelling, and her soft crying. And then, as I was pulling on my boots, I heard her crash to the floor, and the sound of her screaming, begging him not to hit her.

That was the moment I saw red, and I decided that powers or not, I was going to kill that man.

Suddenly I felt my whole being surge with a kind of energy, and the power that I thought was lost was returned to me. I closed my eyes, and imagined myself in her kitchen. I blinked, and in that time span, I transported myself upstairs.

I found myself at the doorway of her kitchen, her father's back turned to me, as he bent over to smack his daughter across the face. Fury filled me, and I ran over there, to grab his shoulders and pull him off of Ellie.

He was a big man, I realized, almost as tall as me, and two times wider. His head was shaved, and he wore a navy shirt with pajama pants. Right away I could smell alcohol on his breath, and I knew I had the upper hand against him. Not like he would have beaten me had he been sober.

I pushed him up against the wall, and while I'm usually not a big fan of hand-to-hand combat, if felt good punching him square in the jaw. He fell to the floor, and before he could get up, I pushed my hands forward, using the force of my magic to make him paralyzed. When he realized he couldn't move, he looked up at me in fear. I only sneered at him, and walked over to Ellie to help her up.

A small trickle of blood was coming from her nose, but other than that, I didn't see any more damage. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her to my chest so that she was standing.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Jareth, you stopped him." She said, "Finally, someone stopped him! And your magic is back!"

"Yes," I whispered, "yes it is. And since that has happened, we're going to leave here, as soon as I take care of one matter." Before walking back over to her father, I gently kissed the tip of her nose, to make the pain stop. When I was sure she wasn't bleeding anymore, I strode over to that vile monster on the ground, and kicked him in the stomach. He yelped in pain, and I placed my foot over his chest.

"Look here, you bastard." I said, looking down at him, "For the past few weeks I've known your daughter, and have come to understand what you to do her, I've daydreamed about ways to kill you. I've thought about drowning you in my Bog of Eternal Stench, or having my goblins tear you apart, or just beating you to death myself. I've even thought about setting you on fire, and watching you burn."

Behind me I heard Ellie say quietly, "I really like that one." It made me grin.

"Oh yes." I continued, "I've thought of many, many ways to kill you."

"Who the hell are you?" Her father whimpered.

I laughed. "I'm your worst nightmare, you piece of crap. I'm the Goblin King. And right now, I'm going to tell you what's going to happen. I decided that death would be too easy on you. So I'm going to spare your life. Yes, I'm going to let you live, but you won't be off the hook that easy."

At that moment I bent down, and placed my hands on his forehead. And all that pain that I kissed off of Ellie, and all the memories that came with it, I transferred it all to him. His body jolted, like he was hit by electricity, and he let out a scream. After that he became still, and I knew that the pain had vanished… but it wouldn't be that way for long.

"For the rest of your life," I said, "you will have nightmares at night, and you will feel that pain. You will live through what you did to your daughter _every, single_ night. You will feel it all and wake up screaming until the day you take your final breath. Whenever you sleep these memories will haunt you. And now, this beautiful young woman is coming back to my kingdom with me, and if you ever speak about this with anyone I will kill you, I promise. If people ask where she is, you will tell them that she has gone to live with family friends. She will be going to school, and living normally, but she won't have to deal with your hell anymore."

"Dad," She stated suddenly, stepping forward, "you never took care of me. You never loved me like you should. If any part of you ever looked upon me as your kid, let me go be happy with this man. Don't try to find me. Don't try to hunt me down with the police. Just let me go."

"Your daughter," I said, taking Ellie's hand, "does not wish vengeance upon you. She only wants her freedom. I don't share these feelings. Personally, I just want you to suffer. But this woman is more gracious than that… more gracious than I am. Now, we're going. Don't worry, as soon as we leave, you'll be able to move."

I lifted my foot off of him, and turned to my bride. She smiled, and I wrapped my arms around her.

"Ellie, say your wish." I whispered, "Say what you want."

She leaned into my chest and sighed. "I wish the Goblin King would take me away… with my books and things downstairs!" She giggled, "Right now!"

"Your wish is my command, precious." I said.

And in the blink of an eye we were down in the Underground, inside my royal chambers, with her two tubs of books and boxes scattered around us. As she studied the carved stonewalls and fine furniture and trinkets, I laughed at her shocked expression.

"Welcome home, my queen." I murmured, kissing her. "Welcome home."


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Ten Months Later (Or, An Afterthought)

"Ellie! Come on Ellie, we're going to be late!"

Elegance Le Fae sighed as she touched up her makeup on last time in her private bathroom in the castle. Her husband had it constructed just for her, and everything in there was white crystal, from the bathtub, to the showerhead. "Jareth, I'm coming!" She cried, "Hold on! Can't you control time anyway?"

"But I want to see your pretty face _now_." He whined.

She sighed over dramatically, and looked at herself in the mirror. Finally, she felt like she was ready for prom. The ball gown she wore was tailored specifically for her, with dark green fabric and white detailing sewn into the bodice, along with a few diamonds. Around her neck she wore an emerald choker with matching earrings, and a bracelet. Her hair was curled, and pinned away from her face, but came down in a shower of black on her back. The Fae that Jareth hired as her lady in waiting had sprinkled a bit of gold dust in her hair to make it shine. Ellie grinned. Shelly (the lady in waiting) had become one of her best friends, out of the many she had made now at her school. She didn't realize so many people had liked her quiet, sweet nature, until she finally became confident enough to connect with a few of them, and make friends. She had even entered her poetry in a local contest for a five thousand dollar scholarship, and hers had won by popular vote. The piece she wrote even went on to a national competition, where she took second, and won ten thousand dollars. The poem, inspired by the story of the Underground, she dedicated to her Goblin King. He loved it, and while she was delighted by that, she felt better that Jareth didn't have to pay completely for her college education.

She sprayed a bit of rosewater on her neck, and finally stepped out of the bathroom. Jareth started at her, his mouth hanging open, and she stared back at him. He was wearing a black tuxedo (she had talked him into dressing into more 'human' attire for prom) with his hair pulled back in a low ponytail. While he looked more mortal, he was ridiculously handsome.

"You look amazing!" They both said at the same time.

Realizing what they had done, they laughed, and Jareth picked her up and spun her around. "I have the most beautiful woman in the world!" he cried, "Yes I do!"

Suddenly they heard one of the goblin servants run down the hall, and stop in front of them. "Someone is here to see both of you, your majesties." The goblin said, bowing.

"Thank you Rut." Jareth said, "But I'm about to escort this lovely young woman to prom."

"Forgive me, your highness, but I suggest you see this guest. She won't be here for long. She only wishes to talk to you before your wedding tomorrow."

Ellie glanced at Jareth. "We might want to see her, love. It sounds pretty important."

Jareth nodded. "Okay. Let's go to the throne room."

He held her hand firmly in his as they made their way down the hall. At last they made a few turns, and were finally in the 'royal room'. Upon entering they saw a cloaked figure standing to greet them, but they couldn't see the person's face through the covering's shadows.

"I present to you, the king and queen of the Underground!" Rut cried, stepping out of the room.

"What business do you have of us, good subject?" Jareth asked.

At that moment the person unfastened her cloak, and let it fall to the floor. Now, there stood a thin, pretty woman, in her late thirties, with green eyes and short brown hair. She was wearing a brown halter dress, which came down to her knees, with small gold heels and simple gold jewelry. Her pale face held a slight blush, and her pink lips shone with gloss.

Jareth's eyes widened, and instinctively, Ellie knew who she was.

"Sarah." Jareth gasped, "It's you."

"Hello Jareth," She greeted warmly, "Hello, Elegance." She walked over to her, and held out her hand. Ellie took it, and squeezed her fingers.

"Hello Ms. Williams." She said, "I know a lot about you."

"It's not Ms. Williams anymore." Sarah laughed, "It's Mrs. Peters."

"You married." Jareth observed.

"I did. I've been married for the past eight years. I have a little girl now too. Her name is Katharine Underhill Peters. She just turned five."

"Her middle name… you named her after my kingdom." He said. "Tell me, does she like fairytales?"

She nodded. "Like mother, like daughter." She turned back toward Ellie. "Since I heard about you a few weeks ago, I've wanted to meet you. I know about all you've been through. You're a very brave girl, Elegance. Very brave indeed. Now, I won't keep you, I just wanted to congratulate you on your wedding tomorrow."

"How did you know about it?" Ellie asked.

She shrugged. "I still talk to some of my friends from the Underground. My daughter has even met a few."

"Your daughter would." Jareth teased. "I'm guessing Ludo told you everything?"

"He did. He's a sweetheart, but you know he can't keep things to himself. Now, I know you have another engagement. You must be going." She leaned forward, and hugged Ellie. "You take care of him, okay? Jareth maybe stubborn and vain sometimes, but he's a wonderful guy. You're lucky."

"No, I'm lucky." Jareth said.

Sarah smiled. "Maybe you're not as vain as you used to be, Jareth. Could it be this girl has changed you?"

He shrugged. "Miracles happen."

She laughed, and held out her hand to him. "You take care of her too, all right? She's special."

Jareth took Sarah's hand warmly. "I know she is. I'll always treasure her."

"Good. And Jareth?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for keeping me a dreamer. My imagination and dreams, they'll always belong to you. Goodbye, my friend." She lifted his hand in hers, and kissed the back of it. Right after that, she began to head toward the door. "Don't worry about having a servant show me out," She called behind her, "I'm sure I can find my own way out of here."

Both he and Ellie laughed, and glanced at each other knowingly.

"Elegance?" He said softly.

"Yes, my dear?"

"This is how everything was meant to be, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"You know, it's funny, as soon as I let her go, it kind of felt like…"

"You could breathe normally again?"

He nodded. "Yes."  
>"I understand." She leaned against his chest and smiled. "That's how I felt almost a year ago… when I finally left my father and my past behind."<p>

"Then, let's start living, Elegance."

And in the blink of an eye, he whisked her off to a masked ball, where they didn't worry about clocks striking thirteen hours, or midnight. After all, they had all the time in the world now.

**The End**

**From the Author: Thank you all so much for reading my fic, and making it such a smash! I'm so thankful to have people like you read my stuff, and put it in your favorite story alerts and then list me as a favorite author. Your support means so much to authors like me, who don't know how well a story will go over.**

**Well, due to many personal messages asking me to write another Labyrinth fic, I shall. J My next story won't be posted for a while though, since I want to finish another fic I'm working on, but it will happen. If you want to keep in touch with what I'm doing, please add me as a favorite author, or just shoot me a personal message telling me that you'd like to know when my next Labyrinth fic is to be published, and I'll shoot you a message back to let you know. **

**I guess some of you might ask, "But what can we read while we're waiting on you to publish the new fic?" Well, I am writing a Phantom of the Opera fan fic called "Silver Rain: A Modern Day Phantom of the Opera". I can't say if it's good or not, since I'm the author, but the reviews have been pretty stellar, and I've gotten two thousand hits on it. So if you're a Phantom fan (or just interested in my kind of writing) feel free to read and review. **

**Anyway, again, thank you so much for your support. It has meant a lot to me the past week I've been posting this story, and I really hope you did enjoy it.**

**~Diana**


	16. Update

A Happy Update

Hey everyone! So... I have a surprise for you guys. Most of you all know I'm writing a Labyrinth fan fic with a friend of mine, Coffeelaced. But what most of you don't know is that I've been writing Phantom of the Opera fan fic for a while, and now the reader's note and first chapter are posted!

You can find it here: www. fanfiction .net/s/7259326/1/Sing_Me_A_Dream

Anyway, I hope you guys like it, and I can't wait to hear your reviews.

~Yours truly, Diana Kay Warry

PS- You'll have to type the link in physically and take out the two spaces! Sorry for the inconvenience!


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